CD Projekt RED Shows 12 Minutes of Gameplay for Third Witcher 3 Expansion: Dandelion’s Homeland, Silver Chain, and 2027 Release

Studio CD Projekt RED has released an extended 12-minute gameplay showcase for the third major story expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Songs of the Past. The video highlights the brand-new open-world region of Letten, the setup of a detective story involving the bard Dandelion’s family, overhauled NPC behavior, and Geralt’s new weapon — a silver combat chain.

Idyllic Letten: Dandelion’s Homeland in Northern Redania

The expansion takes the witcher to Letten — the ancestral home of Dandelion (whose real name is Julian Alfred Pankratz, Viscount de Lettenhove).

Unlike the war-torn swamps of Velen, Letten is a flourishing countryside in northern Redania inspired by the pastoral landscapes of Poland and England, complete with clear lakes, windmills, and endless wheat fields. However, beneath its peaceful exterior lie ancient magic and a family curse.

Development is led by studio Fool’s Theory (composed of The Witcher 3 veterans and currently developing the remake of the first Witcher game) in close collaboration with CD Projekt RED’s lead writers.

Post-Belleteyn Hangover and De Lettenhove Family Secrets

The story is more intimate and personal, focusing on the friendship between Geralt and Dandelion:

• after boisterous Belleteyn spring festival celebrations, Geralt wakes up on a lake shore only to find the bard missing without a trace;
• the search leads the witcher to the de Lettenhove ancestral estate, where he meets the poet’s stern grandmother and his cousin Lilla;
• the investigation sets the characters on the trail of a mad ancestor — Count Humbert, and a dangerous abandoned location, the Garden of Thorns, which locals fear to enter.

Silver Chain From the Original Game and New Monsters

The main addition to the combat system is a silver chain with a hook — a direct homage to the opening cinematic of the original 2007 The Witcher (where Geralt bound the striga princess) and Andrzej Sapkowski’s book saga.

As noted by PC Gamer, the chain functions as a distinct tactical tool:

• pulls individual enemies out of tight groups;
• breaks heavy armor and boss shields during slow-motion mode;
• helps strike multiple opponents in a sweeping arc.

The video also showcased new beasts inhabiting Letten: a humanoid monster named Swarmion, which uses a swarm of hornets as a living shield, predatory plants called Thornblooms, and a boss named the Slumbering Knight with a petrified wooden arm.

Living Settlements, Free Remaster, and Release Window

The expansion implements a more complex life-simulation system: peasants herd sheep, transport goods via boats and carts, and children play in the streets without rigid script constraints.

According to a CD Projekt RED press release, visual enhancements, reworked combat mechanics, animations, and updated enemy behavior will first arrive for all base game owners via a free update, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered, on September 29, 2026.

The story expansion itself, Songs of the Past, will be the third major paid addon alongside Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. It is scheduled for release in 2027 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.